Hang gliding, paragliding, and microlighting pilots will be converging again on Tumut, NSW for the Annual National Fly-In.

When: Easter, Friday 02 April 2010 to Monday 05 April 2010

Where: Tumut, NSW Australia

• Great free-flying with friends

Besides flying, there's always a chance for a kayak derby in the river if there's too much wind or rain

• Free Thermaling and XC Assistance

I'll be there helping out overtime for pilots (hang gliding & paragliding) looking to improve their in-land soaring skills.  If conditions permit, I hope to even offer some air-to-air assistance on the radio.  I'll be bringing my hang glider and maybe my paraglider, too.  Overall, the loose agenda is going to be getting some FUN and safe.

-Conrad Loten, from Newcastle, has signed UP to help with the event.  Conrad recently placed a tight second place at the NSW Hang Gliding State Titles in Manilla.  He's an amazing man, and we're very fortunate to have him on board assisting the hang gliding and paragliding pilots looking to learn more about flying in thermals and XC.

We're now on tour, away from our hang gliding base at Stanwell Tops, Australia.

Well....our European hang gliding/honeymoon is going great!

Below: Three days ago, at the main take-off area, Laragne-Chabre, FRANCE, for the upcoming 2009 Hang Gliding World Championships

BELOW: 80 kilometers later, at Monts du Chaval Blanc, very incredible.

ABOVE: Flying the new Moyes Malibu 188.  This hang glider is a dream.

The ROAD TRIP:
After a great week of solid flying Stanwell Tops…Jonas, Olli, Tina, and myself loaded into the Warren Windsports company car and set off on a flying adventure.

“High-Alpine Adventure, Low Stress”

Austrian Michi Friesenbichler, assisted by Curt Warren, guides pilots across the premier gliding sites of Austria in the peak flying season.

When: 5th – 9th of August 2009  

The very best month to fly the Austrian Alps

The Region:

As the winter flying slows down a bit, I'll sneak away...
Tomorrow I'm flying UP and AWAY from Stanwell Park to...... Moscow, Russia to hang glide at a water/aerial stunt show.

We've got a great group of ol' mates going... Team members from USA, Australia, France, and Russia will converge together to perform a 30-minute show for a private party of high profile guests. Each member of the 14-man squad holds either a World or National championship to their credit. The show will include jet-skiing, wakeboarding, barefoot-skiing, free-style jumping, and hang gliding…all choreographed to music and pyrotechnics.
The private-event will be held at the Olympic Stadium once used for the rowing events during the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

Our usual hang gliding at Stanwell Tops (between Sydney and Wollongong) was called off due to weather, so I took advantage of the time to test some equipment for my upcoming one-day gig in Moscow, Russia (keep an eye the blog).

We headed to Lake George, Canberra to do some car towing.

CHECK OUT this place! (view from the Moyes Sonic 165)

The flying community is strong and it didn't take much to spark up some local interest. Carl, Dave, Trent, Deb, Dan, and Bucky all turned up for the party on the lake-bed.

Here's Carl foot-launching via a static-line car towing:

Warren Windsports was out of the office last week...in New Caledonia :).
We took a break from the hang gliding at Stanwell Tops and spent seven days on a boat with friends.
Man, we surfed some brilliant south swell... I loved my new Wayne Lynch surfboard:

This past weekend at the Mudgee airport we scored some L&V (light and variable) winds with plenty of sunshine, and smOOth lift. YES! Made the 4.5 hour trip worth it!
This gig was the follow-up to our appearance at the Mudgee Airshow, about a month back.

PHOTO: Here's our student Patrick (tandem), getting a good taste of aerotowing:

ROAD TRIP FROM SYDNEY TO GLOUCESTER

Friends, fuse ball (table soccer), and FLYING :) ....last weekend.

The weather turned out to be surprisingly pleasant, allowing for some great conditions for aerotowing training and free flying.

ABOVE: The team... microlight tug-pilot and tandem instructor.

Anousha (photo below) on the Guitar providing the live audio track for some of the filming:

The Tablelands Drifter Hang Gliding Tour kicks off .....

Here's the skinny:

Mudgee, NSW: 26-27, Airshow at the Airport on Saturday Morning Also, some aerial photography and flights over the weekend.

Denman, NSW: 3-4 May, Food and Wine Festival in town.

Tandem Hang Gliding, Aerotowing instruction, free-flying with the New Castle Hang Gliding Club.
Also, Tony Barton of Airsports Newcastle, will be offering some
car towing instruction.

UPDATE (MAY 1st): Warren Windsports and Tony Barton will not be attending the event to the forecast that's unsuitable for training

Gloucester, NSW: 16,17,& 18th May, Shakespeare Festival in town. Flying with the Newcaste Hang Gliding Club. Tandems with Warren Windsports and Stuee of Airsports. Free-flying. FUN.

Warren Windsports will be conducting an Advanced Training Clinic offering: aerotowing instruction and ratings, spot-landing and video analysis, and thermaling techniques. The student group-size will be limited to small number, and space is limited....

P.S. Louise is doing breakfast and lunch :)

Mudgee, NSW: 24-25 May, Tandem Hang Gliding, Aerotowing instruction, FUN